While Team Canada National Hockey League players Sidney Crosby and Shea Weber are speaking out against Russia's anti-gay laws, former NHL player and current Team Russia member, Ilya Kovalchuk is voicing his support for the discriminatory legislation.

“I agree, of course. I’m Russian and we all have to respect that. It’s personal and, like I said, it’s a free world, but that’s our line. That’s our country, so everybody has to respect that.”

It's a free world...unless you're gay??

If you'll remember, champion Russian pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva received a lot of backlash when she made similar statements in support of the anti-gay legislation and quickly backed away from her remarks citing a language barrier.

We wonder if Kovalchuk will be making his own "clarifications" soon.

We're curious--are these views that many Russian athletes actually share or are they under pressure from their government to show public support for the legislation? What do you think, Instincters?